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Türkiye’s defense industry, a global leader in armed unmanned aerial vehicles, is moving to extend its capabilities into the maritime domain through the development and export of armed unmanned surface vessels (USVs).
To protect its strategic interests at sea, Türkiye has promoted the development of armed unmanned surface vehicles, viewed as a force multiplier in naval operations.
The first platform to emerge from this effort was the ULAQ armed unmanned surface vessel.
The delivery of ULAQ to the Turkish Naval Forces in December marked a key milestone for the platform.
In parallel, one ULAQ 11 PSV/ISR boat was delivered to the Qatar Coast Guard, becoming Türkiye’s first-ever export of an armed unmanned surface vessel.
These developments significantly increased international interest in the ULAQ system.
The platform’s operational use by end users enhanced its technological maturity, while positive feedback from the field drew attention from potential users in different regions, accelerating business development activities.
Ares Shipyard and ULAQ Global are conducting business development activities with numerous friendly and allied countries, with approval from Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defense.
While meeting the needs of the Turkish Naval Forces and Coast Guard remains a priority, discussions are continuing with several Gulf countries regarding ULAQ platforms with varying capabilities.
Talks are also underway with Far East countries on different cooperation and business models.
New export contracts are expected to be announced throughout 2026.
Modularity is a core focus of the ULAQ platform, allowing the same vessel to perform multiple missions through different payload configurations.
Work continues with various payload manufacturers to develop new versions and operational concepts.
Autonomy is another key area of development. A prototype ULAQ delivered to the Qatar Coast Guard has been in active service for over a year, with operational feedback driving improvements in design, autonomy and onboard redundancy.
Further advancements are expected with the delivery of additional platforms.
The use of domestically produced engines developed by TUMOSAN has been identified as a strategic priority to enhance sustainability, supply security and operational independence.
Beyond engines and weapons systems, efforts are underway to increase local content across propulsion systems, power management, autonomy-related subsystems, mission computers and payload components.
The long-term goal is to ensure that design, integration and decision-making capabilities remain domestic, with plans to gradually increase the localization rate in future ULAQ versions.
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